Electrically-controlled air-releasing valve for train-pipes and the like.



UNITED ysm'rns Parana ernten.

THOMAS H. ISHELDON, F VICTOR, COLORADQ, ASSIG-NOR F ONE-HALF TO PELE HERZ, 0F GOLDFIEBD, COEGRADD.

ELEGTRICALLY-CONTROLLED AIR-RELEASING VALVE' FOR TRAIN-PIELES ANI) TEE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.'

' To all whom, it may concern:

VBe it known that I, THOMAS H. SHELDON, a citizenof the 'United States, residing at Victor, iiithe county of Teller and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled Air-Releasing Valves for Train- Pipes and the like; and I do declare the following to be a full, olea-r, and exact description` of the invention such as will enable' others skilled in t-he art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically controlled air releasing valves 'for train pipes and the like.

One object of the invention is to provid a valve of this character having an improved construction and arrangement of electrically controlled operating mechanism whereby the valve may be opened .for releasing th'e air4 from a train pipe or other device. l

Another object is to provide a valve of this character which will be simple, strong and durable in construction, etlicient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain no vel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of my improved valve; Flg. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof on the line 2-2of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section of one end of the valve showing a modified construction and arrangement of the same; Fig. Llis a cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 0f Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 denotes the main casing of my improved valve,- said casing having on one side substantially midway between its ends an air inlet port 2 which communicates at its inner end with an annular groove 3 formed in the inner side of the valve casing and at its outer end connects with an interiorly threaded socket 4 formed on one side of the valve easing as shown. Also formed in the valve casing and preferably in the opposite side thereof from the port 2 is an air discharge port 5 which .communicates at its inner end with lan annular groove 6 4formed in the inner sideof the valve casing as shown. The outer en'd ofA the valve casing l is closed by a threaded plug 7 having therein a centrally disposed guide passage 6. The opposite end of the main valve cas# ing 1 1s closed by a supplemental valvecasing 9 hereinafter described. v i Slidably mounted in the main valve casing l 1s a main air lreleasing valve l0 hav-` ing on one onda stem 11 which works through the passage 8 and is provided for the purpose of. manually closing or re-set ting the valve 10 after the same has been automatically operated'in the manner hereinafter described..`

The supplemental valve casing 9 has formed therein near its lower end an air inlet port 12 which is connected by an air conducting pipe. 13 with the socket 4 of the air inlet port 2 of the main valve casing whereby a portion of the air entering the socket 4 from the train pipe passes into the supplemental valve casing 9. The. inner end of the air inlet port 12 communicates with the lower ends of a series of inwardly extending air passages 14 the inner ends' of which connect with an annular groove l15 sa l formed in the inner side of the supplemental' valve casing 1 whereby the air passing i through the supplemental valve casing '9 and through thel passages 16 acts upon the main valve 10 and forces the same outwardly in the main valve casing thereby 'uncovering the groove 6 and opening the discharge port 5 thus releasing the air from the train pipe.

The groove 17 and outer ends of the passages 16 are normally closed by a sup-.f

plemental valve 18 arranged in the supplelemental valve casing 9. The valve 18 is 'also preferably 'in the form of a spool valve or has a reduced cent-ral portion 19 and on its ends, heads '20 one of which when the valve is closed covers the grooves 17 as shown.l

los

The air entering the valve chamber through the passages u le end gro-ove l iills the space around the reduced Central portion of the vulve and l'ietvvcen the heads thereof so that when the valve is shifted inwardly to a'sufllcir t extent to uncover1 the groove 17 end outer ends of the 16 the air entering the valve chamber around the r .duced portion of the valve will pass out 'through the groove valve casing thereby operating the .main valve in the'nienner deseribed. The outer end ot' the supplemental valve casing 971s closed by o, serevv plug having therein a centrally disposed guide passage 22 1n which is slidably mounted the stem 23 of the valve 18 and by means of which said valve is man-v ually closed or re-set ait-er having been shift- -ed to en open position. V

The supplemental valve casing 9 forms the core of a solenoid 24 which Whenenergine-d attracts the 'valve 18 and draws the seine upwardly in the supplemental velve easing' thereby uncovering the groove 17 and outer ends of the passages 16 in the manner described. ln order to prevent any oir which may have Worked past the valve 1'8 into the inner portion of the casing from exerting a back pressure on the valve and thus interiliering with the operation of 4the same l provide the inner portion of the supplemental valve easing with a vent or reliet port 25 whereby uil' niey escape from between the inner end of the valve 18 and the inner end ot the valve casing. Connected with the plug 21 which closes the outer end of the supplemental valve casing valve holding arms 26 which conardly toward their lower ends and r etreniitics turned outwardly as The outer end oit' the valve stem 22 thereon a suitably shaped heed 27 which shifted to an open postil n is brought between or into engagement the outer @nos of the spring arms 26 which thus grip the valve stem and hold the valve in an open position until the seme is manually closed0 ln the form oit' the VVinventionshown in Figs. l und 2 or the drawing the supplemental air controlling valve 18 has been shown and described es being operated and opened by the action of the solenoid 24 on the easing of this valve. In Figs. 3 and Il off the dra wings is shown a slightly different construction sind arrangement oil? a supplemental nir.' controlling` valve which in this instenue normally held in a Closed position by the solenoid: as long es the latter is energized 'but soon the is dcenergif/.ed the 'vulve will drop oy gravity to an open position.. ln the for; f "is shown in Figs. il and i the volvo liasing 2d connected oit the valve casing 1 .in the shown. la HS when the valve is and passages 16 into the inn-inl invention.

' valve casing,

" noemen shown and described in the first forni of the invention end said main valve easing l mein velve l0 therein are constructed and arranged in the same manner as the main valve casingf'and valve shown in Fig. 1. ntlie embodiment illust-rated in Figs. 3 and l the air inlet l2 is connected et its inner end with the lower ends of a series of inwardly extending; sir passages 32 the inner ends of which ere connected with an annuler groove 33 formed in the innel' side or the valve casino,l 28. In the inner' portion of the supplemental casing 28 is formed an annular series of air discherfring passages the outer ends of which ommunicate with an annular groove 85 formed in the inner side of the valve 'oesing 28 between the groovel 33 and the outer end of thevalvefoasinv. The inner endso'f the passages 34- open through the inner end of the supplemento-l valve casing,- and coininunicate with the adjacent end of the inain alve casing l whereby theair .discharging through thc passages 34: enters said main valve casing and actuates the main valve l0 in the same manner and for the same purpose as described in thc lirst form of the The spool valve 18 when-.in its normal position closes the groove 35 and outer ends of the air discharging passages 34, said groove and passages Bfl'being open when the valve drops lor moves toa position in engagement Wit-l1 plug' 2l. The outer end oit' the valve stem 22 has secured thereto a button 40 by means of 'which the valve may be manually operated and reset. llllien the solenoid 24 is energized, the valve 18 .is held in a closed position as shown. As soon es the solenoid is denergized the valve 18 will drop by gravity in the valve casing 28 thereby permitting the air entering the valve casing through the pipe 13 to pass .into the inner end of the `main valve casing to operate the main valve in the manner des scribed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the operation and construct-ion of the invention will be understood Without i'iirther planation.

Having thus described my i1iventon,What lf claim is:

l. A valve of the character described comprising mein valve casing having thereinair inlet and discharge portsj a socket formed on one side of the main valve casing and communicating with said inlet port Whereb)T air is admitted to the casing', a plug` to close the outer end of .said mein `guide passage7 an air releasing valve inourn;N ed in said main valve casing and adapted to normally close the discharge` e 't therein, a stein connected with said valve end Work through the lassng'e in the said plughaving thereine l2 plug whereby said air releasing valvel may be manually operated'and reset, a supplemental valve casing of less diameter than the main valve casing and connected with the inner end of said main valve casing, said supplemental valve casing having therein an air inlet port, a series of air inlet passages communicating with said air inlet port, a series of ,air discharging passages, the latter passa es communicating with the inner end of t e main valve casing, an air conducting pipe to connect the air inlet port of the supplemental valve casing with the socket on said main valve cas.- ing, whereby a portion of the air entering the main valve casing is conducted to the supplemental valve casing, a plug to close the outer end of said supplemental valve casing, said plug having thereina guide passage, an air controlling valve slidably mounted in said supplemental valve casing and normally closing the air discharge passages therein, a stem on said supplemental valve and having its outer portion sliding through the guide passage in said plug, whereby the supplemental valve may be manually reset, a solenoid 'surrounding the reduced supplemental valve casing and adapted to control said supply valve, and an operating head on the outer end of the stem of the supplemental valve.

2. A valve of the character described comprising a main valve casing having thereinair inlet and discharge ports, a socket formed on one side `of said mam valve casing and communlcating with saidinlet port whereby air is admitted to said casing, a.

plug to close the outer end of said main valve casing, said plug having therein a guide passage, an alr releasing valve slidably mounted in said main valve casing and adapted to normally close the discharge port therein, a stem connected with said valve and adapted to Work through the guide passage in said plug whereby said air releasing the main valve casing, an air conductingl pipe to connect the air inlet port of said supplemental valve casing with the socket on said main valve casing whereby a por-V tion of the air entering the main valve casing is conducted to the .supplemental valve casing, a plug to close the outer end of said supplemental valve casing, said plug having therein a guide passage, a supplemental air controlling valve slidably mounted in said supplemental valve casing and adapted to normally close theouter ends of said air discharging passages, a stem on said supplemental valve and having its outer portion sliding through the guide passage in said plug whereby said supplemental valve may be manually re-set, a solenoid arranged on said supplemental valve casing and adapted when energized to attract said supplemental valve and to shift the latter to an open position, and spring arms tov engage the stem of said supplemental valve vand to hold the latter in an open position. 'V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.'

' THOMAS H.- SHELDON. lVitnesses: v v

CHAS. CRATHERIDGE, F. M. GLENN.. 

